


Don't Dream It's VR

by Write_To_You



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, But Only In The VR Parts, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Leviathan - Freeform, Lex Luthor (mentioned) - Freeform, Season/Series 05 Spoilers, Some Cuteness, Virtual Reality, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25345705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Write_To_You/pseuds/Write_To_You
Summary: Nia uses VR and lands herself in a world where she and Brainy are still together. (title is a spin off of Don’t Dream It’s Over by Sixpence None the Richer, but the actual story has no intended correlations ;)
Relationships: Querl Dox/Nia Nal
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	Don't Dream It's VR

**Author's Note:**

> I just spent an inordinate amount of time trying to figure out why the ship tag for "Brainy/Nia Nal" wasn't coming up. 
> 
> I've figured it out now.
> 
> That is all.

Lex Luthor was one of the most powerful figures in the country. He had his hands in dozens of important organizations and a foot in the back alley and underground. He had almost unlimited information at his fingertips.

Having a partnership with such a man, Brainy mused, definitely had its advantages.

Brainy was at the DEO, dealing with some of the less glamorous, paperwork-centric jobs that Alex and J’onn had handled with such grace, when one of those advantages made itself known. A notification popped up on his computer and, since he was always connected, made itself known in his mind. 

It was a notification from the user database of Obsidian North. Normally, Brainy would have just brushed it off; new people got added to the database (and, as a result, got sent into VR-induced comas) almost every day. But this particular person had a very familiar name.

_Nia Nal._

Brainy was out of his seat in an instant but stopped moving just as quickly. A reaction like that just further proved how much emotion dulled his judgement. Where had he been planning to go? To the Superfriends? To Nia’s comatose body? To _Lex_?

All of those were terrible options. If he went to Kara or Alex, he would have to tell the how he came in possession of his information, which would lead them to his partnership with Lex. Even if they overlooked the discrepancy in the heat of saving Nia’s life, Alex was already suspicious of Brainy. He couldn’t risk it.

Going to Lex Luthor would be just as hazardous. Brainy knew that the evil mastermind was beginning to get an inkling that Brainy wasn’t _quite_ as detached from his friends as he seemed. And besides, the chances were that Lex wouldn’t even do anything to help. Why would he make an exception to save Nia, of all people, from Obsidian?

Finding Nia herself would be the most useless idea of all. When someone went into VR, the only way to get out was for them to extract themselves. They couldn’t be shaken from the outside. Brainy could do nothing but make sure she was comfortable and check that she wasn’t already dead. 

No, there was only one course of action that made any logical sense. 

Brainy had to go into VR and save Nia himself. 

**W / T \ Y**

The Obsidian Lenses were easy to get. In fact, they fell right into her lap. When Nia was halfway through her third pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream that week, she noticed the small white container resting on her coffee table. 

Frowning, Nia looked closer. They had to be Yvette’s, left out by mistake. Nia had recognized that VR Lenses immediately- Kelly had a pair on her at all times, and she had even let Nia try them out for fun at a few game nights. 

Nia had never been super into virtual reality. She had spent enough time fantasizing as a kid to know that it didn’t get you anywhere. In fact, some of the time it made things worse. A virtual reality, especially one as realistic as Obsidian, would only give you a expectations too high to meet. 

That being said... VR was an escape. There was no doubt that. And if Nia had ever been in need of an escape, it was right now.

So she picked up the case, popped it open, and slid the lenses onto her eyes. 

Almost immediately, she was in a clean white room. There were light panels built into the wall, but the brightness didn’t hurt her eyes. Nia took a step forward and floating screens popped up in front of her. Frowning quizzically, she raised her finger and spun through them.

One was of her and Maeve, standing on their farm with their dad and mom behind them. Nia felt her heart clench and she quickly scrolled past. Going into a reality where her mom was alive would be by no means good for her already fragile mental health. 

The next screen showed her with Kara and James in Noonans, a plate of cronuts in front of her. Nia smiled but went past that reality, too. She missed James, but she wanted something a bit more than cronuts and friends.

And then there was the third option, and Nia huffed out a breath as she felt her throat tighten. The image was of her and Brainy curled up on the couch together. Nia had her head on Brainy’s shoulder and there was a blanket tucked around them. Before Nia knew what she was doing, she was reaching out and selecting the reality.

“Wait-” she cried as the world around her started to shift. 

But then she was there. Brainy’s shoulder was solid and realistic under her head. His arms were bound tight around her waist. He even _smelled_ right.

Nia felt tears well up in her eyes. Brainy shifted and turned to look at her, brushing her hair back from her face. “Nia? What’s wrong?”

As he tilted his head, Nia caught sight of three bold lines across his neck. He wasn’t real. _This_ wasn’t real. Brainy was built into the VR for her viewing enjoyment. If Nia was at all smart, she would end the simulation right now.

But she _couldn’t_. She had missed being in Brainy’s arms so much, and who knew when she’d get a chance like this? Sure, it wasn’t him.... but it could be. 

“Nothing,” she murmured, brushing the tears off of her cheeks. “I’m just really happy to be here with you.”

He smiled, and Nia felt butterflies explode in her stomach. That couldn’t be fake.

How could you create a feeling like that?

**W / T \ Y**

It was harder to get into someone’s personal virtual reality than it was to find someone at a VR event. That was what Brainy was quickly coming to realize as he connected himself to the interface of his tablet and started straight out hacking. 

Obsidian had put up a lot of defense protocols to protect their clients against VR Jumpers, people who would hop from personal virtual realities to personal virtual realities. They were trolls, mostly just a nuisance, but they had made it so that it was very challenging for Brainy to find his once-girlfriend. 

Still, he was a twelfth level intellect and part computer, so it only took him ten minutes to locate Nia’s virtual address and find an entry point. The only problem now was that he needed Obsidian lenses. 

That turned out to be a pretty big problem. See, it was impossible to get on the virtual reality-scape without Obsidian lenses, and it was impossible to _obtain_ Obsidian lenses without getting put on a three-week waiting list. Brainy didn’t have that kind of time. Brainy didn’t even think he had three _days_. 

So he did the only thing he could: He called Kelly Olsen.

“Hi, Brainy,” Kelly greeted when she picked up, sounding a little surprised. “What’s up?”

“Hello,” Brainy responded stiffly. “I... have a bit of a favor to ask of you. I need a pair of Obsidian lenses, no questions asked.”

“Obsidian lenses?” Kelly’s voice was dubious. “Brainy, you know how dangerous those are. Alex almost got stuck inside her VR the last time she-”

“I know,” Brainy said, cutting her off. He had to wonder how out of the loop Nia was if she hadn’t realized the risk of heading into a VR. “Again, I cannot give you any details but... it has something to do with a more.... _personal_ lead I’m following up regarding Lex Luthor.”

Kelly let out a sigh. “Okay,” she relented. “I trust you.”

Brainy’s stomach twisted. He wanted to warn Kelly not to trust him- not to trust anyone. Trust, as he had been continually proving to himself over the past few months, was something that could easily be broken, even by the people you held the closest. 

They arranged a place to meet, and then Brainy hung up. 

**W / T \ Y**

Fantasy or not, Nia felt a little weird getting into bed with Brainy ( _literally_ getting into the bed, no innuendos intended). But when she saw him lying under a sheet in a comfortable shirt, hair splayed across the pillow, she couldn’t resisted crawling into bed after him.

“You’re not real,” she said softly after they’d laid together for awhile, just looking at each other. Her eyes couldn’t seem to stop drifting to the three bold marks along his neck, a constant reminder that this wasn’t _Brainy_ , just a piece of him taken from her memories.

Brainy leaned forward and slipped his fingers into her hair, drawing her closer for a kiss. The tightness in Nia’s back loosened immediately and she sank into the feeling.

“That doesn’t feel real?” Brainy whispered when he’d pulled back. 

“It does,” Nia murmured, eyes on his lips. “But I know what it feels like to kiss you. The VR is just drawing from that.”

“VR can’t do that, Nia,” Brainy replied softly. “I’m a twelfth level intellect, I’d know.”

Nia let out a sigh, turning away and sitting up. “I shouldn’t have chosen this reality,” she admitted as Brainy sat up, too. He ran his hand down her arm and then drew her into his chest and she rested her head on his collarbone. 

“Then why did you?” Brainy asked gently. 

“I missed you,” Nia admitted. “In my world -in the _real_ world- you left me. You- you broke my heart. And after that my whole life basically spiraled out of control and I just... I _needed_ you, Brainy. And you weren’t there. So I grabbed these stupid VR lenses and put myself into this world just so I could- just so I could hold you again.”

Her voice cracked and Brainy reached up a hand to brush away her hair, gently stroking her cheek. “Nia,” he whispered. “There’s no VR. I would _never_ leave you. I love you.”

And in that moment, Nia realized he was completely right. Brainy was the love of her life. Even more than that... she was _his_. Losing her would have destroyed him; he had told her that himself multiple times, even just during their first few months together. If Nia was thinking logically, the world that didn’t make sense was the one she had come from.

“It was all just a bad dream,” Brainy said in her ear, coaxing them back down to the bed and gently turning her so she could press her back to his front. 

Nia had a flash of _something_ , a memory that screamed at her that Brainy didn’t hold her like this when they were in bed. Brainy didn’t like to cuddle at night because he knew it disrupted her sleep schedule to be touching another human being and he wanted her to be at her best and most rested.

But Nia shook the feeling off. It was so much easier to just sink back into Brainy’s arms, to feel his chin rest gently on her shoulder, breath ruffling her hair. 

“A bad dream,” Brainy repeated in a low voice. “But nothing more than that: a dream.”

Nia nodded. “A dream,” she repeated, and she smiled. Because dreams, no matter how important they were to her powers, weren’t real. They didn’t last. 

And now she was with Brainy. She was home. 

**W / T \ Y**

Brainy only hesitated for a moment before placing the VR lenses in his eyes. He hadn’t told anyone where he was going. If he got trapped, both he _and_ Nia would be in major trouble.

Immediately after the lenses connected to his brain, the world around him washed out and it was all he could do to stay grounded. His techno side was working overtime, struggling to stay attached to reality. Glaring with concentration, he forced his real-life hands to move across his tablet and launched himself into Nia’s personal VR.

The effect was immediate. Brainy found himself in a very familiar living room, the curtains drawn and the whole scene dark and silent. He glanced at the microwave and registered the time; it was nearly two in the morning.

Suddenly unsure of himself, Brainy walked slowly towards Nia’s bedroom. He turned the handle silently and carefully pushed the door open. Nia was in bed, with.... him.

Brainy felt himself go cold. Unimaginable, overwhelming guilt crashed over him. She had gone into VR, putting herself at unbelievable risk, because of _him_. Because _he_ had broken her heart, and left her stranded to pick up the pieces. 

She looked so peaceful. Her long, dark hair was pushed to the side, face clear and calm. She was sound asleep, as was his VR doppelgänger. That Brainy had his arms around her waist and his nose pressed to the back of her neck, holding her close.

The real Brainy had never done that. He felt a surge of regret but pushed it aside. He could deal with whatever jealousy and nostalgia he might be feeling later. Right now, his priority was getting Nia Nal out of this virtual reality before she was too far gone.

He crossed to the bed, slamming a wall down over his emotions, and grasped Nia’s arm. She jolted awake with a gasp, sitting up so fast their heads nearly collided. “Brainy?” she asked, bewildered, before she glanced behind her and saw the VR Brainy still fast asleep. Her face was glazed but her movements were immediate. 

“Who are you?” she demanded of the real Brainy, pushing herself away from him as her other hand reached for his VR self and tried to wake him. “A- a shapeshifter? A white martian?”

“It’s me,” Brainy said, holding up his hands. He was shocked at home quickly the VR had influenced her brain; she already seemed to think that _this_ was reality. “It’s- Nia, It’s Brainy. _Your_ Br-” He stopped himself, choking on the sentence. 

He wasn’t her Brainy. He had stopped being ‘her Brainy’ the day he’d walked out of her apartment with barely a word of explanation.

The VR Brainy was waking up, looking dazed. “Nia?” he asked, reaching for her gently. Real Brainy felt protective rage start to bubble in his stomach, but he kept himself together. “Nia, is everything alright?”

Nia fumbled for the bedside lamp and turned it on. VR Brainy’s eyes widened and he sat bolt upright, glaring at Real Brainy. “Who are you?” he asked, putting a protective hand on Nia’s arm. 

“Nia, this isn’t real,” Brainy said desperately, looking between the two of them. They weren’t attacking him yet but he could sense it coming very soon. “You’re in a Virtual Reality. You used Obsidian Lenses. In the real world, we don’t- we aren’t-” He gestured helplessly between them. “This isn’t real!”

“This _is_ real,” Nia ground out, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw herself out of bed and Brainy stumbled back as she raised her hands and they started to glow blue. “I don’t know who you are, but you need to leave us alone _right now!_ ”

“Look at his neck!” Brainy yelled. “There’s three dark stripes there; that means he’s not real! He’s all a part of the VR, Nia, you have to see that.”

Nia’s gaze turned furious. “Those _marks_ were a brand from his ancestors,” she grit out. “How _dare_ you say they make him fake.”

And, before Brainy could do anything, she had blasted him with dream energy.

**W / T \ Y**

Brainy jolted up with a start, back in the DEO Director’s office. “No, no, no,” he muttered, before slamming his fist into his desk. “No!”

He had failed. He had tried to get her out and he had failed. The day he had let Nia go was the day he had doomed her to a fate worse than death.

Because he could do _nothing_. Why would Nia want to leave a reality where she was happy, where she had her boyfriend close by to hold her at night and love her with everything he had? And why would she want to go _back_ to the real world, where her life was a mess and he had left her like she meant nothing more to him than an old house inherited through a great grandparent’s will? 

Brainy put his head in his hands. The image of Nia in bed with- with _him_ , but not really him, was haunting. The fact that she really believed that that _thing_ was.... him... Brainy didn’t know what to make of that.

Brainy pushed himself into an upright position. He had to concentrate on getting Nia out, not what she was doing while she was still inside the VR. But was there anything that would be more appealing about this world than the one she was living in? True, this one was actually real, but Nia didn’t know that. What could he use to bring her back? 

A thought occurred to him. There was one thing that might just work. In the VR, life was presumably perfect, because it was Nia’s dream world. They were together, he had to figure that Lex Luthor and Leviathan didn’t exist, Lena was probably even still on their side. But here, the world was a mess. Which opened up one tiny opportunity for an advantage.

Brainy would have to take it. He didn’t have any other choice.

**W / T \ Y**

After the Brainy-lookalike vanished, Nia looked down at her hands in shock. “What did I just do?” she asked blankly. “I’ve never used Dream energy to make someone _vanish_ before.”

The Brainy on the bed, _her_ Brainy, the real Brainy, got up and walked over to her side. He took her hands and looked them over, eyebrows furrowing curiously. “I must admit I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “My only conclusion is that the creature we just encountered is not only a shapeshifter, but can also teleport.” He shrugged. “I suppose we’ve come across more powerful aliens before.”

Nia nodded dubiously, pulling her hands away from his so she could slip her arms around his waist. “What did he- she- they- _it_ \- think it would accomplish? Did it really think it could trick me with you lying _right there_?”

“That plan does seem a little flawed,” Brainy agreed with a faint chuckle. He led her back to bed. “Regardless, you did well scaring it off.”

As Nia pulled the covers over her legs, she was struck with a thought. “Brainy, do you think the others are in danger? We’ve never been targeted in my apartment before.... what if it knows where all the Superfriends live?”

“Valid concern,” Brainy acknowledged, reaching over to touch his phone. “They have all been contacted with a warning about this new possible foe.”

A little more assured, Nia lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She heard Brainy rusting beside her, but his breathing quickly evened out, and so she decided against speaking. 

But her mind was still racing. It was true that the figure that had appeared in their bedroom couldn’t _possibly_ be Brainy, but at the same time.... he hadn’t tried to attack them? It would have been insanely easy for him to kill both of them right there while they were sleeping, but he hadn’t. He had _woken her up_ , and tried to speak with her.

What had he said? That the life she was living ‘wasn’t real?’ 

Nia sat up, feeling unsettled. The theory of the intruder being a shapeshifting alien sent to attack her had so many flaws. Why hadn’t he attacked? How had he known where she lived? What had he approached her when the real Brainy was _right there_? 

And why (and how) had he disappeared like that?

**W / T \ Y**

Nia must have fallen asleep sometime the night before, because she woke up to an empty bed. It had to be Saturday, she thought, a little confused as to why she wasn’t sure. When she checked her phone, she saw it was nearing nine o’clock in the morning, and got up to see where Brainy was.

Nia found him in the kitchen wearing boxers and a white t-shirt, his hair wet from a shower. She smiled, enjoying the view for a second before wandering over to kiss him good morning. 

“Whatcha making?” she asked, eyeing the bowl filled with batter that was sitting in front of him.

“Well, I’m _attempting_ to make popovers,” Brainy replied absently, scrolling a little at the recipe up on his phone and squinting at the directions. “But I’m realizing now that you might not have the correct pans.”

Nia’s lips quirked. “How about I run out to the store and pick us up some?” she offered. “Because, no, I don’t think you can make popovers in a muffin tin.”

Brainy nodded, turning around to kiss her on the nose. “I can retrieve them, if you’d prefer.”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Nia decline, turning to head back to their bedroom. “I’ll just brush my teeth and throw on some clothes and head out.”

The sun was shining brilliantly when Nia made her way outside. She pushed her hair back, adjusting her purse and setting off down the sidewalk to the bakery that wasn’t too far away. The birds were chirping and there was barely anyone out, even though it wasn’t that early.

Actually.... now that Nia thought of it, the city was really quite empty. There was maybe one or two cars lining the side of the road, and they were exactly identical, down to the model. The buildings seemed oddly uniform, too. Nia blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes, and when she looked around again, she couldn’t seem to remember what had been wrong.

Shaking her head, Nia pushed on towards the bakery. She was stopped in her tracks, however, when a shimmering spot suddenly appeared in front of her and a figure solidified.

“You!” she shrieked, stumbling backward and holding up her hands. She knew immediately that the Brainy in front of her wasn’t the same one she had left in her apartment. She could see in the daylight that his hair was shorter and his face was more drawn. If anything, those details just added to her confusion more. If this alien was a shapeshifter, why would there be differences between him and the person he was imitating?

The copycat Brainy took a few steps back. “Nia, just calm down,” he pleaded. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Slowly, Nia lowered her hands. “Who are you?” she asked for the second time, though her voice was more curious than demanding now. “And why do you look almost identical to my boyfriend?”

“Because I _am_ your boyfriend,” the man replied. “Or.... no. I’m not. Not anymore. But on my Earth- on _our_ Earth, the real Earth- we were together.”

“So you’re a doppelgänger?” Nia asked uncertainly. “I thought we destroyed all of those during Crisis?”

“We did.” The copycat Brainy rubbed his hand over the bottom half of his face. “Nia, you have to try to understand. All of this, everything around you.... it’s just your imagination. You were upset, and you used these things called- called Virtual Reality Lenses and you went into a world where we were still together. And I- I understand _why_ , because I broke your heart and I- I’m _so_ sorry, more sorry than you even know. I-” He broke off and shook his head. “Nia, please.”

Nia’s heart was starting to pound. “Don’t you think I would _know_ if I was in a virtual reality?” she asked with an uncomfortable laugh. “This is my real life, Br- whoever you are. And I want you out of it.”

“Nia, please,” Brainy begged again, taking a pleading step forward. “We need you, out there. _I_ need you.” He shook his head. “Ok, if you’re so convinced that this is real life, than you won’t mind trying something for me, will you?”

“What kind of something?” Nia asked, cautious. She didn’t exactly think this Brainy was dangerous, but at the same time, she didn’t know if she entirely trusted him... or even if she should.

“Say, ‘End Simulation’,” Brainy told her. “There’ll be this red button and you can hit it, and then you’ll see that this was all VR. If there’s not, then you can- you can blast me with your Dream energy again. But just... try it.”

Nia swallowed, shifting uncomfortably on the pavement. She was about to open her mouth and follow his instructions when a shout came from behind the copycat Brainy. 

“Hey! Leave her alone!” 

It was the real Brainy, her Brainy, and Nia was suddenly bewildered as to why she was even _looking_ at the impersonator in front of her. The real Brainy rushed the fake and sent him sprawling to the pavement. He skidded on his hands and his chin and when he rolled quickly back to his feet his face was covered with blood.

Nia hurried to her boyfriends side, holding up her hands protectively. She could feel his warmth behind her, a steadying force that drove every doubt from her head. _This_ man, the one in front of her, _he_ was the problem here.

She lifted her hands.

“Nia!” Brainy cried desperately. “You have to listen to me, just end the simulation! You’ll die if you don’t and I- I _can not_ lose you, I can’t.”

Nia hesitated. 

“Nia,” the Brainy behind her said. “Are you _really_ believing this- this _imposter_? He is messing with your mind!”

“But he’s-” Nia looked between the two of them. On the ground was a man with raggedly cut hair, blood dripping onto his shirt. His eyes were wide and glassy, about to spill over. Beside her, the Brainy she thought she knew was clean and serious, every part of him neat and gaze laser-focused on her face. 

“He’s you,” she whispered, her hands falling. “But he’s more than that.” She stepped forward and cupped the standing Brainy’s cheek, watching how he leaned into her touch almost robotically. Then she pulled away and held out her hand for the Brainy on the ground. “He’s real.” 

The fallen Brainy’s eyes went wide. He grasped her hand and let her help him up. Nia took a breath, feeling shaken but calm. “End simulation,” she whispered, keeping her eyes locked on the man in front of her. 

The world around them vanished, and Nia was back in her apartment.

**W / T \ Y**

Being thrown out of someone else’s terminated VR was jarring, but Brainy pulled himself together quickly. He sprinted out of his office, pushing past started DEO Agents, and caught the first taxi he saw to Nia’s apartment. 

He didn’t waste time knocking, just smashed the door in with his shoulder and tumbled into the apartment. Nia was sitting very still on the couch, her hands gripping her knees and her shoulders tight. She looked up sharply when Brainy came in and threw herself backwards, pushing away from him. 

“It’s okay,” Brainy told her, holding up his hands to show her he didn’t mean any harm. “It’s me, Nia, it’s okay.”

“What are you doing here?” she rasped, wide-eyed. “What did- how did you know I went into VR?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Brainy said in a low voice, taking a careful step closer. Now wasn’t the time to open up to her about Lex, though he had a feeling that such a time might be coming sooner than he was ready for. “What matters is that you’re alright.”

“Well, I’m not!” Nia cried, getting to her feet. She stumbled a little but kept upright, and he forced himself not to lunge to her aid. “I’m not _alright_ , Brainy. I chose that stupid reality and I- I _had you_ again, for just a day and now that I’m back, I _don’t_. Every last bit of healing I’ve managed is- is _completely_ reversed, and I’m back to square one and you’re just... you’re here, _why are you here_?”

“Because you could have _died_ , Nia,” Brainy said, his voice straining a little. “And it- it would have been my fault.”

“I was the one who picked up those lenses.”

“But I was the one who made it so you felt you needed to.” Brainy slumped into the nearest chair uninvited and looked up at her, slowly shaking his head. 

Nia sat back down the couch. She didn’t say anything. 

“Do you want me to go?” Brainy asked, his voice so soft it was barely audible even in the silence of the room. 

Nia visibly swallowed, clenching her hands at her knees. She looked up at him and when she spoke her voice was heartbreaking. 

“I never wanted you to go.”

**Author's Note:**

> GAHH I felt like I had to end it there because otherwise it turns into yet ANOTHER story where Brainy has to explain about Lex and people are hurt and yada yada yada....
> 
> And, if you've read all my Brainia stuff on fanfiction.net, you'll know I wrote a lottttt of those. 
> 
> (I still feel somewhat guilty, but what's done is done. Sorry if I broke your beautiful Brainia-Shipping hearts now go read Circles to make yourself feel better lololol)


End file.
